Which game developer is pushing the industry foward?

[M3707ik]

I've always had my opinions about game developers (that means you south peak) but i wanted sveral second opinions on the subject. feel free to disagree, really gaming is an art form and is open to diferent interpretions. So go vigorously fight over them in a forum

-edit also in my opinion Bioware and Bethesda are. and i hate South Peak
-edit my bad forgot Lionhead

 

[PersianLlama]

Valve.

 

[Milkatron]

None. It's at a dead end IMO

 

[Limos]

I think Maxis, if they would only get away from EA.

 

[gigastrike]

I think Maxis, if they would only get away from EA.

Ya probably.

 

[BLOONINJA 503]

If only google did buy valve it would have made it so much more accesible.....

oh and epic games seem to always do something cool every once and awhile like gears and UT.

 

[shatnershaman]

Would there even be an XBLA or a PS Network today if it wasn't for Steam?

XBL came out a year earlier so yes.

 

[6unn3r]

Imo its the little known devs like GSC (S.T.A.L.K.E.R), Massive Entertainment (World in Conflict) and Gas Powered Games (Supreme Commander) that really make the big changes in gamplay.

 

[Tattaglia]

Insomniac. You may laugh, but one of their little has been copied by Microsoft, Sony, Valve and Blizzard.

Exactly what I was going to say! Valve too.

 

[EzraPound]

BioWare's healthy right now, and looks poised to become the first western RPG developer to seriously challenge JRPG superiorism. Valve is as effectual as always.

It's easy to overlook Nintendo because they're so residual, but even given the relative flaccidness of the Gamecube and Wii in relation to their earlier consoles, they've still managed to produce a steady stream of notables - Super Smash Bros. Melee, Metroid Prime, Super Mario Galaxy, etc.

Capcom seems to be having a second coming, perhaps best evidenced by the success of Resident Evil 4 (their best game since Street Fighter II), and the positive PR encircling Street Fighter IV's eminent release.

As smaller developers that command interest go:

- Studio Gigante appeared ready to reenergize the bereft American fighter industry after Tao Feng and WrestleMania 21, then promptly collapsed. After that the founders - Mortal Kombat co-creators Joshua Tsui and Dave Michicich - suffered a brief stint at EA Chicago where they graced the excellent Fight Night Round 3 before beginning a new company, Robomondo. For my money, it will be one to watch.

- Founded by ex-Lionhead employees, Media Molecule is currently working on LittleBigPlanet - a title that could lend the PS3 some much-needed steam by way of exclusives.

- Bethesda Softworks, of course, is hard at work on Fallout 3. And on the strength of the IP, it may be their best title yet.

- Slipgate Ironworks was founded by John Romero and several others after his and Tom Hall's departure from Midway. So far, the only thing I've read about them is that they're working on an MMORPG, and that they've developed a musical scoring system that arranges itself into compositions in the same way, say, the dungeons in Diablo would. This may turn out better than Daikatana.

- Double Fine Productions were responsible for Psychonauts - which critics praised, and Edge had the gall to call one of the greatest games ever - and soon they'll be releasing 'Brutal Legend', a heavy-metal send-up featuring voice talent by Jack Black that will hopefully reprise Tim Schafer's signature LucasArts aesthetics.

- Not a dev per se, but Microsoft Game Studios is really hot right now: Rare seems to be ramping up their outpost post-PD Zero, Ninja Gaiden 2 was recently released, Fable II may be a Zelda-killer, 'Infinite Undiscovery' (co-published w/ Square Enix) has been dubbed an evolutionary RPG even before its release, etc.

And there's many, many more. But I'll stop here.

 

[smallharmlesskitten]

NOT CAPCOM..... Epic fail for those guys.... DLC to level up in their RPG's.... Lame-o

I would vote insomniac...

 

[Caliostro]

Well, on the technical side I'd say Crytek. Their CryEngine 2.0 is nothing short of awe striking and in a market characterized by constantly surpassing itself technically, it's been around a year and nobody has managed to even touch their engine.

On the creative side, I'd have to say Valve. There's very little companies that can keep up with Valve in quality per game or that have released so many innovative game tittles.

 

[D_987]

Lionhead, Valve and media molecule

 

[Knight Templar]

Valve.

Valve, Valve makes my rockets.

Bioware just does the same thing better and better each time. It's fun but not moving forward, lately anyway. Unlike say Blizzard who move forward and make fun games.

But we can all agree the most modern and forward thinking game developer is 3DO.

 

[Danny Ocean]

*shivers*

Man, it's cold over here. There must be a blizzard outside.

I see what you did there.

 

[Cpt. Red]

Valve... becuase I love em...

 

[khululy]

I think only EA isn't moving forward
Most developers do their best to combine good things from old games and try new things, but if you try something new it's not always coming out right.
Don't blame developers for their misses if they try something.
Namco created the dynamic cover system we see in Gears of war, but kill.switch never was a hit.
Valve only made a few shooters and steam is a distribtion method they are not moving the industry forward.
Blizzard does what it does best making rpg and rts games. Won't say they do it badly.
But they don't really try anything new that other developers pick up and use in their own titles.

and from that point of view I must say Epic. for their marvelous unreal engine that has been used in the industry for about a decade.

 

[Sir_Substance]

blizzard, valve and even EA have all done their part to push it forward, but in recent years, they have produced only decent, mediocre and piss poor games respectively. Bethesda is putting its heart into it, and whilst they are stumbling a bit, i still hold none but the highest respect for them.

maxis gets an honorable mention. its never really innovated, only mixed and matched the bes of what others offered.

i hold a special place in my heart for bioware, as they brought us both baldurs gate and mass effect, both of which i love, and truly believe pushed their respective genres forward.

however, i believe now is the day of the indy developer. people who make small, low budget games, that never the less become awesome. portal, for instance. a true innovation in both game play and in game technology.

 

[Wicky_42]

Obviously it has to be EA - I mean, they've made so many games recently that they must be really innovative and skilled. Why else would people keep buying them?

[/sarcasm]

I don't think there's much innovative stuff happening now outside of the Wii - there's only so many ways to dress up a FPS or RTS, and only so many gimmicks to include. Good games are coming out, yes, but none of them are exactly ground-breaking. Fable 2 is a sequel, so surely that cannot really be considered to be innovative? The Wii wins because with its unique control system it has the most potential for new gameplay.

 

[djeeten]

ID software used to be very groundbreaking in the FPS field. Bioware did a lot for rpg's... With all the mergers it is hard to tell which developer has the most talent on board these days. There is a lot of it in the indie gaming scene though. The major players seem to relying too heavily on reselling the same concepts over and over again albeit with added graphical sparkle and gimmicks. And that includes Valve.